A Takeover at the Daycare
by ashlovesCM
Summary: At eight o'clock on a Monday morning the local daycare for Eldersburg, Maryland was turned upside down when an armed gunman took fourteen under six's hostage as well as three teachers and two assistants. Police have been unable to gain access to the daycare or make contact with the gunman. Can the BAU stop the gunman before it's too late?
1. detective Sheridan

JJ rushed into the bullpen, picking up the television controller and switching on the news station. A few seconds later Garcia's heels could be heard clicking down the steps of the catwalk and into the bullpen as she approached three of the profilers and the liaison office gather at the desks.

"I heard running, what's wrong?" The tech queen rushed before her eyes fixed on the TV screen. "Oh my God" She whispered as the presenter read her lines.

"At approximately eight o'clock this morning the local daycare for Eldersburg, Maryland was turned upside down when an armed gunman took fourteen under six's hostage as well as three teachers and two assistants. Police have been unable to gain access to the daycare or make contact with the gunman but it is thought he might have accomplices already in the building" The serious faced blonde explained while taking occasional glances backward to the daycare a hundred feet away.

Reid, Emily and Morgan stared mesmerized at the screen even when the report finished. JJ slowly moved her eyes to the catwalk where Hotch and Rossi were standing; they had come out a few moments after the commotion and had watched the TV with worry.

After a short pause Hotch cleared his throat and began a quick walk down to the bullpen. "Garcia, get whatever equipment you'll need- I want you with us on this case. JJ, get any files you can on this. Everyone else, get down to the SUV's. Maryland isn't far from here; I want you all to be ready to work as soon as we arrive"

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Garcia's eyes took a few seconds to adjust as she stepped out of the black SUV and into blinding sunlight. She shielded her eyes to get a better line of vision as she hurried into a shaded area with her laptop in one hand.

JJ was next to appear from that car as she hopped out of the front passenger door and looked round for the person in charge. Hotch had been driving the first SUV and manoeuvred his way with JJ to a suited man standing alone.

A few moments later the second SUV, drove by Morgan, pulled up next to the first one. Reid began a fast walk to the maps and plans area set up next to where Garcia was sitting while Rossi strolled to where the other SWAT agents were gathering.

Morgan and Emily jumped out of their seats, took a look around then walked to Reid's station.

The suited man watched as the agents found their places before letting out a breath and turning back to Hotch and JJ. "I see you guys know where to go" He said, his voice not showing any emotion.

"We find it best to get straight to work in situations like these" JJ explained softly, her eyes drifting toward the daycare building. The man tilted his head slightly and nodded in agreement to what the blonde had said then cleared his throat.

"I'm detective Sheridan, lead on this case. I figured we'd get some FBI down here" He said while glancing round.

"SSA Hotchner" Hotch introduced himself and offered a hand to shake "We did inform your supervisor that we'd be coming straight here. They gave us clearance" Hotch stated in a monotone voice, his eyes fixed on the man.

"Information is slow getting down here" Sheridan said with a shrug. "I've got blue prints of the daycare and maps of this area over there" He added while pointing to where Reid was. "Looks like your guy already found that… We've got SWAT on hand if we need them and I've had tables set up for working space…. I've never taken the lead on a multiple hostage case so if there's anything else you need just ask"

"Do you have anyone back at the station that has experience with situations like these?" Hotch asked.

"We had one detective but he transferred to Texas six months back. I've had training from him but, if I'm honest, things like this don't happen in places like Eldersburg"

Hotch paused to think while looking over his team settling down to work. "We can spare four of our team to comb through witnesses and family, whatever men you have free should join them" Hotch said, JJ nodding then walking toward Morgan and Emily as she already knew which four agents he was talking about. "The buildings around the daycare are evacuated already, correct?" He asked.

"We got everyone out as soon as we could" Sheridan replied.

"I need your officers to find an empty building that's big enough for all these work stations to be moved inside. It needs to be close to here and between fifty and a hundred feet from the daycare. Do you think you can find a place like that?"

"I've got somewhere in mind" Sheridan said with a nod as he glanced round.

"When you have the place I need my technical analyst, Garcia, to be put in first. She's got some equipment with her so if she needs something make sure she gets it. The maps and blueprints can stay here but I want copies moved inside encase of an emergency. Reid can help with the geography and planning but he'll need someone who knows the area around the daycare. Is there anyone who knows the Monday schedule but isn't being kept hostage?"

"One of my officers is bringing in a kid who has an apprenticeship there. She didn't show up for work today but she's been working Monday's for a few months now"

"Alright. My team will need to talk to her first and perform an interview. When she gets here I want you to make sure she's taken straight to Agent Morgan and Agent Prentiss" Hotch instructed.

"Which ones are they?" Sheridan asked with a little laugh.

"Reid, Morgan, Prentiss" Hotch began while pointing out the agents. "Rossi, Garcia and Jareau. We don't expect you or your officers to learn all our names so agent will suffice" He added then turned and inspected the scene in front of him.

Sheridan took in the information then took a step forward and glanced over his officers at work. "Be honest with me, Agent Hotchner. How many kids are we gonna get out of here"

**This started off as something fun to write when I had writer's block but I liked the idea so I decided to turn it into a proper story. I've been trying to decide between this and two other stories I've written on which one to post but instead of picking one I choose to post them all and whichever get's the most positive feedback will be the one that I'll update the fastest. Depending on if this is the most popular of the three stories; the next chapter could be up within the next week. Please review if you've got time!**


	2. the apprentice

"Hi, I'm Emily and this is my colleague Derek. You're Hannah, right?" Emily asked while guiding the teenager she was talking to toward a quiet, shaded area set up for private interviews.

"Yeah…" Hannah mumbled, her eyes fixed on the daycare. "Are all the kids inside?"

"We think it's just fourteen at the moment" Morgan stated while pouring a glass of water for the girl then sitting down at the table. "To eliminate you as an accomplice, we need to know why you didn't go in for work today… according to your records you haven't missed a day since you started working there a few months ago"

Hannah paused for a moment then, with the help of an encouraging smile from Emily, cleared her throat. "My boyfriend came over last night… We had an argument and by time he left it was late. This morning when I woke up I was tired and I had-" Hannah stopped to look round then lowered her voice. "Bruises on my arm… I knew they'd ask questions. I was going to call in sick. There had been a bug going round and today wasn't going to busy… I thought it wouldn't matter"

"Do you know where your boyfriend is now, Hannah?" Morgan asked, his eyes softening slightly.

"He'll be nursing a hangover on Grover Street. There's a bar called Lucky Stars. Ask for Johnny Meers and you'll find him" She mumbled while pulling her sleeve down slightly.

Morgan glanced at Emily then stood. "I'm gonna find Johnny. Emily is going to finish the interview, ok?" He asked gently. Hannah smiled weakly so he walked away from the desk and toward one of the SUV's.

"How well do you know the morning routine for the daycare?" Emily asked after a small pause.

"Pretty well… There aren't many kids in the morning. Most of the kids don't get here for an hour after early drop offs. Less kids means a more relaxed routine"

"What would be happening at eight fifteen this morning?" Emily asked.

"Eight o'clock is free play for the three to five year olds" Hannah said with certainty. "The ones' and twos' would be having breakfast… Max has a diaper check then" She added after thinking for a moment.

"Who's Max?"

"The baby of the group. He's about four months old… We usually don't have kids under one but the woman's two older kids were already at the daycare and Amy knew the mom"

"And Amy's the person in charge, right?"

"Yeah… Is something wrong?" Hannah asked and stood up.

"No, nothing's wrong" Emily quickly rushed and reached a hand to seat the girl again. "We just weren't expecting a baby to be in the daycare. Can you draw where the kids would be then?"

"Um… Sure" Hannah slowly sighed then sat back down, pulled a piece of paper closer to her and took the pen Emily offered. "I'll give it a shot"

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"Have you found the UnSub's entry point yet?" Hotch asked after stopping by the board Reid was working on.

"He could have used the backdoor that leads in from the backyard play area but it would have meant passing a motion counter or climbing the fence… The easiest access point would have been the front door. From there he could have talked his way pass the person who answered or used a weapon to force his way in" Reid explained while pointing out the places on the daycare map.

"Could there be entrance points for secondary UnSubs?"

"Emily brought over this rough guide to the inside of the daycare. According to this they could have been lying in wait for the first UnSub to arrive in the back of the daycare or in the yard. Although, if they weren't waiting inside they probably used the backdoor. They wouldn't need to worry about the motion counter because the first UnSub was already inside and they wouldn't draw as much attention compared to the front door" Reid explained thoughtfully.

"Please be careful with that!" Garcia called to an agent who was awkwardly trying to pick up her desktop.

"Keep working on it" Hotch murmured then walked over to Garcia's station. "Do you need some help getting this stuff into the house?"

"Yeah" Garcia replied breathlessly as she waved her hands to stop the agents. "Everything is numbered in the order it needs to go up in. I'll go to the house and wait for them to the bring stuff over… Please make sure they're careful" She added then hurried off in the direction of a house thirty feet away.

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"I'm looking for Johnny" Morgan said to the barman in a confident tone, his eyes gliding over the men in the bar.

"I don't want no trouble in here" The barman mumbled while drying a beer glass. "Take it outside or you'll both be barred" He added then pointed to a man hunched over a beer bottle with a backwards baseball cap placed on his short black hair.

"Johnny?" Morgan asked while perching on a bar stool.

"Who's asking?" The man growled then took a sip of beer.

"Your girlfriend is Hannah O'Connor, right?"

"What's that bitch been saying now?"

"The daycare she has an apprenticeship at was attacked this morning. There's people being held hostage and we need to clear you from our inquires" Morgan stated through gritted teeth, this Johnny guy was definitely not getting on his good side.

"Aw, are the little brats scared of someone putting them in their place? I say let him bash a couple of the bastards… Teach 'em a lesson"

"Are you saying you're happy the children at the daycare are being held hostage?" Morgan asked, his hands moving toward his handcuffs.

"That's exactly what I'm saying! Stupid bitch of a girlfriend puts those whining brats before me every goddamn time and they ain't even her kids!"

"Alright, Johnny. You can either come with me peacefully or you'll walk out of here in cuffs. Which is it gonna be?" Morgan asked in a low, quiet tone as his eyes darted round the bar again.

"You can't arrest me! I ain't done nothing wrong! This is harassment!" Johnny shouted as Morgan rolled his eyes and pulled the man's arms behind his back. "That hurts!" He screamed as the cuffs were tightened.

"Yeah, well you should have thought about that before you blew your mouth off about those kids" Morgan snarled then pushed the man toward the door and out of the smoky bar.

**I decided I'd make another chapter for all three stories to help everyone make their decisions. I'm still completely stuck on which one I'd rather continue because I think they could all be a good story however I am leaning slightly toward one of the stories being the most popular. Please review if you've got time and I hope you liked the chapter!**


	3. Johnny's interview

"Come on, Johnny" Morgan said in a sickly sweet voice. "I've seen the bruises on her arm! We all know you've got a temper" He added while waving a hand at the one sided window to indicate someone was watching. "It's not a big leap from beating your girl to knocking a few kids around, is it?"

"Oh, come on man!" Johnny yelled, a corner of his lip rising from fury at the older man. "How can I hold a kid hostage when I'm right here with you?"

"So you got a couple of buddies to jump the daycare" Morgan said in a nonchalant voice then sat down opposite the man. "You tell me who they are and you're cooperating with us, the judge will like that. But if you leave those gun nuts in with a room full of kids and you're gonna be in _way_ too deep for help" Morgan offered.

"I don't know who jumped the daycare! How many times do I have to say it?" Johnny shouted then kicked his chair backwards and paced round the room.

"He's not getting anywhere" Hotch stated while watching the two men interact on the other side of the glass.

"Give me a minute" Emily murmured then began a fast walk out of the room.

A few moments later the door to the interview room opened and both men's eyes darted to who came in. "Your turn" Morgan muttered while walking past the woman and shutting the door.

Johnny sneered at Emily but she continued to ignore him as she sorted the file she had brought through onto the desk. She calmly sat down then glanced up at the man with a sullen face. "Sit"

Johnny stared at her for a few moments but after seeing her unwavering expression slowly sat down. "I ain't got nothing to do with this. Hannah-"

"Hannah is in a relationship with an abusive boyfriend" Emily cut him off before he could say anything more. Johnny ground his teeth in anger to which she raised an eyebrow and smiled questioningly. "Now, Johnny, I don't think you did this. I don't think you've got enough brain cells to do anything other than drink yourself stupid and lash out at weaker people. But the problem is, I need to prove that"

"I already told your lot; I was at Lucky Stars for hours… until that black dude dragged me out of there" He spat in disgust.

"And why did you go to Lucky Stars?" Emily questioned patiently.

"We had a fight"

"What was it about?"

"The bi-" Johnny began angrily then paused when Emily gave him a hard look. "Hannah said I couldn't stay over 'cause she had to work tomorrow"

"Did you call anyone after your fight?"

"No…" Johnny said with a confused look. "I might have… I think I called Kyle… I wanted a drinking partner. You'll have to check with him" He added.

"We already called him. You left a message on his phone and asked him to meet you at Lucky Stars. Now, since you've been honest with us we aren't going to question you about the daycare anymore" Emily stated then stood to leave.

"When can I leave, then?" Johnny asked.

"Did I say you were leaving?" Emily turned with a forced smile.

"But I helped you!" The man yelled then stood and walked over to Emily with a clenched fist.

"Touch me and I'll break your wrist" The profiler warned coolly. "You are going to stay here like a good little boy until I've got every single kid out of that daycare. Then I'm gonna make sure you get put in a jail where they teach weak men like you that you aren't as powerful as you like to think" She said sweetly while grabbing hold of his manhood. "And once you're comfortable in your filthy little jail cell I'm gonna go tell Hannah that if you ever come near her again I will _personally_ drag you back here. Alright, sunshine?" She added before releasing her grip and striding out of the room.

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"The boyfriend doesn't know the UnSub" Hotch stated into the phone as Morgan sped down the streets back toward the daycare. "Have you found anything yet?"

"I looked for parents or guardians with grievances with the daycare or anyone going through a difficult divorce but everyone seemed to check out" Garcia reported while rapidly typing on her computer. "I think I might be able to remotely turn on the CCTV in the manager's office but it's gonna take a while"

"Call us if you make any progress" Hotch instructed then hung up the phone, immediately dialling another number.

"Reid, here" The young profiler said in a distracted voice as his eyes darted from one map to another.

"Do you know where the children are in the building?" Hotch questioned.

"If they're being kept as one group they'll most likely be in the back play room. It's large enough to keep them all together and it gives them good lookout advantages without being vulnerable to an assault" Reid explained.

"Ok, we'll be there in two minutes. If Sheridan is there, tell him to stay until I get there" The team leader said.

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Emily and Morgan glanced over the six police officers standing in front of them that were waiting intently for instructions. Morgan cleared his throat and began. "We're going to pair you up so that we can find out as much as we can from the parents as quickly as we can" He explained then read one of the officers name tag. "Roberts: you're going to work with me to talk to the four year olds' parents. Pierce: you'll be with agent Prentiss to work through the three year olds. Sanchez and Miller: the two year olds. Matthews and Sampson: the one year olds" Morgan instructed.

"There are some parents that have two or more children enrolled at the daycare so the officers who are assigned the oldest child's category talk to the parents" Emily continued. "When you've finished your category talk to either me or agent Morgan and we will assign you to something else"

"What are we looking for?" Miller asked which made the other officers nod in agreement.

"Anything that is out of the ordinary" Emily answered simply. "It doesn't matter how small, if the parents mention something take notes and report back to us"

"The parents are going to be in shock so they might be very talkative or not want to say anything at all but you've got to make sure you talk to all of them. If they mention anything about people arguing outside the daycare, with any of the staff or any children that have been taken out of the daycare without an explanation finish the interview as quickly as you can and come back to us" Morgan added.

"We need you to go through the interviews as quickly as you can but your instincts are going to play a big part in this. If you feel like you need to stay longer with some parents to pursue leads then by all means do. Remember, we need you to be as quick as you can but we'd rather results than speed" Emily summed up before the group dispersed and joined their partners, all ready to start the interviews.

**I had a couple of spare hours today after a hospital appointment so I thought I'd add another chapter to this story. For anyone wondering this is a non-ship story so you won't have to worry about a ship you don't like interfering with the storyline. Hope you liked the chapter and please review if you've got time!**


	4. the phone calls

Emily dropped six sheets of paper onto the desk and sighed. In front of her were five of the officers that had helped with interviewing the parents. Four of them had papers in front of them and were scribbling information down; the fifth one had been helping her and had only just sat down.

A few minutes later Morgan finished his last interview and strolled over with Roberts close behind. "How'd it go?"

"Six parents with motives to hold the daycare hostage in just the three year olds' section" Emily responded in an annoyed voice. "_Six people_ who wouldn't think twice about bringing a gun into a daycare" She added in disbelief.

Morgan half smiled at her with an understanding glisten in his eyes. "There won't be half as many names once we've had a look into them" He said encouragingly. "I need two of you to take all these preliminary suspects over to Garcia so she can have a look into them" Sanchez stood first followed by his partner Miller, together they shuffled the papers together then left the table toward the house. "The rest of you go talk to JJ. Ask her what she wants you to do with the media. If they get much closer to the parents we're gonna have trouble on her hands" He added. The four men glanced at each other then nodded, stood and left the table.

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JJ stood next to Hotch with an anxious look on her face. Hotch was trying to keep his composure and was successful apart from his tight grip on the phone in his right hand. "Are you sure this is going to work?" The blonde quietly asked.

"There's nothing else we can do. Communication might be our only way to talk them down" Hotch replied in a monotone voice.

"But still, can't we wait a little longer?" JJ questioned, both pairs of eyes hadn't moved from the daycare during the conversation.

"Waiting won't help. We'll only give them more time to panic" Hotch said in an assuring voice, finally dragging his eyes to JJ. The younger woman hesitated slightly then nodded. Hotch pulled the phone close to his face, dialled the number and pushed it to his ear.

Four rings later the phone was finally answered. "Hello?" A harsh voice almost shouted down the phone.

"This is Agent Hotchner. I'm with the BAU unit of the FBI. Who am I talking with?" Hotch asked in a patient voice.

There was a long pause and the sound of whispering. "What do you want?" The man growled, Hotch was struggling to place the accent but it had a southern twang the profiler recognized.

"I just want to talk to you. Is someone there with you?" Hotch questioned.

Another long pause. Hotch was sure he could hear hushed voices; there must be someone else there. "What do you want?" A different man snarled down the line.

"I just want to talk to you" Hotch repeated. "I might be able to help you" He offered.

"What's your rank?" The man questioned, glancing to his partner and motioning him to leave the room.

"I'm a supervisory special agent with a team in the BAU of the FBI" Hotch explained, his eyes fixed on one of the windows.

"You're calling the shots?"

"Yes. I can get you whatever you need, just ask" JJ glanced over to Hotch once he said this, he must be getting somewhere with them.

The man thought for a moment then decided on his new plan. "I'm hungry. I want two of your agents to bring me some food"

Hotch pointed a finger at a police officer, who was waiting to take notes of anything wanted, indicating he needed to pay attention. "What food would you like?"

"Three buckets of chicken from the joint down the road, all the fixings you can get" The man answered coolly. Hotch quietly repeated to the police officer. He could hear the muffled sound of the man talking before the phone was uncovered. "Get twenty kids' meals for the hostages. Call me when you got the food. I'll give you the rest of the instructions then" He added then hung up.

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"Come on, we need to do this quickly" Rossi said while rushing the officers to push the buckets of chicken into a red duffel bag. "Alright Hotch, this'll only take a few more minutes at the most" He added as an agent in SWAT uniform stepped forward and checked the tiny microphone planted in the fabric.

The team leader then nodded and strolled toward the best spot to watch the daycare in the cool almost-night air. The unusual hot spring day had dropped in temperature dramatically in the last forty five minutes which made him shiver slightly and glance around at the half light. He waited a moment or two then dialled a number and pushed the phone to his ear. "This is Hotchner" He said when the phone was answered. "The food is ready. What are the instructions?"

"How many agents are in your team?" The confident voice from early asked.

"Seven including myself" Hotch answered, his eyes fixed on one of the windows after someone had brushed past the blinds.

"Are there any women?" He asked with a sick grin. "I only ask because it might comfort the _children_"

Hotch ground his teeth together and told himself to not let the guy get under his skin. "We have three. Agent Prentiss, Agent Jareau and our technical analyst Garcia"

"I want you to send Agent Prentiss and one of your male agents in with the food, you can choose which. I expect them to be unarmed and without bulletproof vests" He stated then hung up.

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"We need one man to go in with Prentiss" Hotch murmured as he watched Emily prepare to go into the daycare.

"I can go" Reid offered immediately, dropping the marker pen onto the table and turning to the group eagerly.

"After what happened last time you two were stuck in a hostage situation?" Hotch said and gave a stern look that told Reid no so he sighed, picked up the pen and turned back to the maps.

"What about me?" Morgan asked. "I can handle myself without a gun if it comes to it"

"Don't you think you might intimidate them?" Rossi asked, perched on the edge of the desk with a thick FBI jacket around him to keep away the cold air.

"They'll still be on a high from keeping out the FBI. Add that to having a gun and I doubt there confidence is going to be knocked enough for them to try anything stupid" Morgan said. The oldest agent thought for a moment then nodded and turned to Hotch for his opinion.

"Alright" Hotch sighed, despite the four years passed since Emily and Reid were taken hostage the memory was fresh and it was still hard for him to send two agents in there. "But I want you to be as quick as you can. You give them the food, check the hostages are okay if you can then leave. No hero acts and no risks, you understand?" Hotch spoke firmly and got a resounding nod from his team. "Let's go"

**Sorry it took me a while to update this one, I thought I had uploaded a chapter last week but I must have got mixed up. I've got a week free from school, appointments and working so I'll be spending a lot of time writing and (hopefully) updating. Please review if you've got time, it really encourages me to write more and even gives me new ideas on where to go next! **


	5. inside the daycare

The door of the daycare slowly creaked open; Emily stepped in first and glanced round. Morgan was close behind and scowled when he saw a thin white man clutching an assault rifle to his chest with a handgun stuck to his side. The gunman glanced over the woman with a stare like an x-ray before motioning toward the short corridor. "Move" He growled and pointed the gun at Emily.

The woman slowly turned and began a walk, eyeing Morgan to make sure he didn't try anything. The guards stopped when the duo passed through the double doors but were quickly met by another gunman who led them into an office.

"Agents" A muscular, tanned man greeted with a smirk. "I've been expecting you"

Morgan rolled his eyes and clenched his hands around the duffel bag full of food. "Where do you want the food?" He asked in the nicest way he could.

The man studied his opponent with disdain. "My name is Hunter" He finally spoke, standing to calmly pick up a handgun. "I've always liked glocks… They give a certain power, nice to load too" He added while pulling out the clip, examining then reloading the gun. He quickly strode out of the room, leaving Morgan and Emily to follow him at almost a jogging speed. "My father loved glocks. He would tell me 'you can always trust a cop's gun, even if you can't trust the holder'" He explained while waving the gun round as he led them down a colourful corridor. "Here we are!" He called with a wide smile.

The black haired male kicked open the door which made the room's occupants jump with fright. "You" He snarled and pointed to Morgan. "Go put the food on that table" He said then turned to Emily with an attempt at smiling. "I'm sure your boss told you to check the kids. So, go check"

Emily quickly moved over to the nearest group of children, their hands bound in plastic ties. "Are these too tight?" She asked softly while holding a child's hands. The little boy shook his head, the curls surrounding his face bouncing slightly. "Are any of you hurt?" She questioned the whole room, standing and making eye contact with as many kids as she could. "Are anybody's ties too tight?" She said after getting a resounding no.

"I wouldn't _dream _of letting those pinheads hurt any of the children" Hunter said in a sickly sweet voice.

"Agent Prentiss and I need to leave now" Morgan stated after placing the duffel bag onto the desk and turning to the adults.

"I want you to go wait by the door, ok pumpkin?" Hunter said with a grin.

The dark agent ground his teeth and tried to pick his words carefully. "I've been instructed to stay with Agent Prentiss" He explained in dry voice.

"Oh, what a good little soldier you are" The man sneered then turned to Emily for agreement. Emily smiled weakly; she'd already worked out her game plan even if Morgan was too caught up by the sight of the kids to think clearly. Hunter smiled even more when it appeared the female agent agreed with him and he swung round to face Morgan. "Now, _I'm_ instructing you to go stand by the door" He ground out.

"I'm not leaving" Morgan stated as he narrowed his eyes on the man.

There was a brief standoff between the alpha males. Morgan knew he'd stand no chance if Hunter had the gun, but if he could get it off him… A shrill laugh leaving his opponents mouth shattered his thoughts. A moment later Morgan's arms were being pulled behind his back and, before he had time to struggle, his hands were locked in plastic ties.

"You get me out of these right now or I swear to God-"

"Morgan!" Emily cut him off before he could dig himself a hole any bigger than the one he was in. "Go wait by the door" She growled, her eyes fixed on him.

The muscular agent was taken aback when he processed the words but, assuming she must have a plan he hadn't thought of, slowly traipsed out of the room and toward the exit, followed closely by an armed guard.

"Thank you, Agent Prentiss" Hunter said with a smug smile. "May I ask you to stay for a while longer? Only, I think the women and children would prefer having you here while they eat and settle down to sleep" He added in a very diplomatic tone of voice.

"I'll stay for as long as you need me to" Emily forced herself to stay. She waited a few moments then strolled toward the duffel bag, carefully unloaded the food so as not to disturb the microphones, and carried it toward the group of children. She handed out the kids meals as quickly as she could then took five of the six remaining meals to the tied up daycare workers.

"It appears I knew there would be another guest staying with us" Hunter said as he grinned and held out the final kid's meal toward the female agent.

Emily tried her best to smile but it was more than difficult with him staring at her with that arrogant look. "I only ate a little while ago" She explained with an appreciative tone.

A flash of rage flashed over Hunter's eyes but vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "Never mind, then. Once they've finished eating I'd like you to help the women find the children somewhere to sleep… then you can leave" He said then left the room.

It didn't take long for the meals to be finished, none of the children had eaten since that morning and most of the adults hadn't eaten anything all day.

"Where do the kids sleep at naptime?" Emily asked when the adults' attention had turned to her. A woman she recognised from briefings of the hostages as Amy, the daycare owner and worker, stood and shuffled toward the door.

"It's two doors down that way" She stated and pointed toward the corridor.

Emily nodded then rounded the group up, three of the daycare workers at the back of the group, the children in the middle and the other women at the front. The agent led the way down the hall to the nap area, ushering everyone inside before the guards could protest. Once inside she helped settle the children down then gathered the adults.

"We'll try and get you out as quickly as we can" She rushed in a whisper. "The most important thing is to stay calm. Keep the children and each other safe and try to not provoke any of the kidnappers. Do any of you know any of them?"

"I think one of them might be called Karl" One of the younger women explained. "My brother works at a diner not far from here called Tony's. I was picking him up once when I saw the guy getting fired"

"Alright, I'll check to see if it's him. Remember: stay calm. I'll be back in the morning" Emily whispered then straightened up and walked as calmly as she could to the door. She found a muscular man with dark hair and a handgun scowling at her. "Tell Hunter that the women and children are settled and I'd like to come back tomorrow morning to check on them. If he wants to talk call Agent Hotchner" She said stiffly then sauntered down the corridor and to the exit.

**Looks like Morgan ran into some trouble with the kidnappers. But, to be honest, I probably would have done the same if I saw all those little kids tied up. I hope you like the chapter, please review if you've got time!**


	6. Tony's diner and Hotch's decision

Morgan was impatiently waiting by the daycare door, his hands tugging as hard as he could at his restraints. He seemed relieved to see Emily walking as calmly as she could down the corridor and was obviously pleased when they stepped out into the cool night air. The duo trudged back to where the rest of the team were gathered, his teeth clenched as they noticed the plastic ties. "Get me out of these things" He growled, an officer rushed over and cut the ties off as quickly as he could then backed away.

"The man in charge introduced himself as Hunter. One of the daycare workers said one might be called Karl. He got fired from a diner called Tony's, we need someone to get down there and check" Emily explained to Hotch and detective Sheridan. Morgan was rubbing his sore, cut wrists when Hotch turned to Rossi.

"Take one of the officers down to the diner and see if we can get a name for one of our UnSubs" Hotch instructed. "Morgan, get your hands cleaned up by one of the medics then come back here" the muscular man reluctantly nodded then left the group. "Prentiss, we need a description of everyone you saw in the daycare. Then I want you and Reid to go to the apartment Garcia's working in and get some sleep, you'll be going into the daycare with him first thing tomorrow morning"

Reid's head shot up as soon as he heard this, until now Hotch had been dead against sending him into a hostage situation with Emily again. "Hotch, I can go in by myself, I won't need-" Emily began but Hotch held his hand up for silence.

"It's against protocol to send an unarmed officer into a hostage situation alone, you know that" He stated quietly so only she and Reid could hear him. "I understand this will be difficult for you both but I don't have any other choice. Hunter has bonded with you, Emily, Morgan can't go in after what happened tonight and Rossi and I need to stay outside to negotiate. I suggest you both finish what's left here as quickly as you can and rest up for tomorrow, it's going to be a long day"

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Rossi strolled into the American style diner and toward the only waitress left in the building. "I'm agent Rossi this is Officer Bennett, is there someone we can talk to about a possible ex-employee of this diner?"

The fifty something waitress put the last glass on the tray she was carrying then turn toward the hatch linking to the kitchen. "Tony! Cops wanna talk to ya!" She called then left the two men and went into the kitchen.

Tony came out a few moments later, drying his hands on a dish cloth then offering it to the men. "I'm Tony" He introduced himself with a friendly smile. "Is there something I can help you gentleman with?"

"I'm sure you've heard of the situation at the daycare a few blocks from here" Rossi said to which Tony nodded grimly. "We believe one of the men involved might have been working here. We think his name is Karl"

"That boy was nothing but trouble" Tony sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I knew his mom back in the day. She died a few years ago and I thought it was my place to help him out. I had to fire him after the first week though, he was too disruptive. He'd fight with my staff, the customers… Lazy as anything but he had one hell of a temper"

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Reid stood a few yards from where the team were working with a plastic cup of hot coffee in one hand. His eyes were fixed on the daycare as the sun started to warm up the early morning air. He was sure there was a shadow hanging over one of the windows. A phone's ringtone disrupted his thoughts. Reid turned on his heel and walked as fast as he could to the table where Hotch was sitting with the phone to his ear. He exchanged a nervous smile with Emily then looked back at Hotch.

"Agent Morgan won't be accompanying Agent Prentiss this morning" Hotch stated.

"Will I get another visitor then?" Hunter asked with a smirk.

"Yes. Agent Reid will be coming with her today"

"I hope he isn't as dull as Agent Morgan, I'd enjoy a nice conversation over breakfast" Hunter drawled on casually.

"Is there anything specific you'd like for breakfast?"

"The women and children have food here for them" He stated. "However, my men and I would like something a little more nutritious than cereals. Get six breakfast burgers then call me"

Hotch placed the phone back in his jacket pocket when the call ended and turned to the two waiting police officers. "Six breakfast burgers- get them here as quickly as you can" He instructed then turned to Reid and Emily. "You'll be going in soon; I suggest you get ready"

Emily half smiled and strolled off to a table fifteen yards away where volunteers where handing out coffee, tea and soup with thick slices of bread. Most volunteers had left late last night although a few had stuck round and camped out in their cars and were back handing out food for the officers.

Reid moved in front of the map, a hand tracing across the path Emily had told him they'd be taking. He couldn't help think about Morgan's bandaged wrists, what if that happened to him? Or worse? He took a deep breath and reminded himself if he stayed calm and did his best not to aggravate Hunter he'd be fine.

Fifteen minutes later the six fast food burger boxes were being packed into a duffel bag smaller than the one used the day before. A man was holding a small black box in one of his hands and adjusting one of the knobs with the other. "Everyone was moved out of the room with the bag in before I could get a decent recording" The man said as he zipped up the bag. "Try and get this one somewhere people will be for the whole day"

Hotch picked up his phone, dialled a familiar number and pressed the phone to his ear. After three rings the man answered.

"If you've got the breakfast get them to bring it in" Hunter instructed, he was sounding less relaxed than usual. Hotch was going to say something but the phone went dead before he could.

"He's sounding stressed so don't push it" He told the two agents as Reid picked up the duffel bag. "Check on the children and daycare workers first. If he's too aggravated then leave as soon as you can" Hotch took one more at his team members then nodded before they started off toward the daycare.

**Any guesses on why Hunter's stressed? **


	7. Reid's turn

Emily stepped inside the daycare with Reid close behind, her eyes sweeping her surroundings as she began her walk down the corridor. The same guards as the previous day were standing in the same position, although this time they looked slightly more willing to give up their weapons and take a nap. The female agent stopped outside the playroom and knocked, the door swinging open almost immediately to reveal Hunter's face.

"I missed your company" Hunter said as the agents entered the room. When Reid turned his back to put the bag on the table Hunter took Emily by the wrist and stared hard at her. "I thought they wouldn't send you back after what happened yesterday with that idiot"

Reid quickly put the bag down and joined Emily's side; an unnerving look on his face as he stared down the UnSub.

"I need something from my house" Hunter stated while ignoring Reid's presence. "Those cops out there won't get it for me"

"Hunter, if I tell them to get it they will-"

"No they won't" Hunter ground out, his eyes still fixed on Emily. "I need to send Charlie out to get it for me… You gotta make sure those cops don't stop him"

"I can do that" Emily assured him. "If I take Charlie out to agent Hotchner I can explain the situation and-"

"No, you can't leave yet" The man mumbled while running a hand through his hair. "You can call him on the phone, tell him what to do" He added, pulled her toward the corner of the room and pushed a cell phone into her spare hand with Reid close beside her.

"Hotch, it's Prentiss" She said as soon as the call connected. "I'm sending out a man called Charlie. He needs to get something for Hunter" She relayed then listened for a few moments. "I understand that, sir, but this is urgent… No, he needs the stuff _now_… Okay, I'll see what I can do"

"What did he say?" Hunter questioned anxiously.

"He can't let any of your men out until you've let some hostages leave, its part of negotiating protocol" Emily lied in a calm voice.

Hunter paced the room for a few moments then stormed out of the room with the two agents close behind. "I'll give you five kids, is that enough?" He called as he led them into the children's nap area. The children were at varying stages of eating the toast the daycare workers had been allowed to make a little earlier.

"He won't let Charlie come back inside unless you release at least eight children" Emily explained which seemed to stress the man even more.

Reid glanced round the room then decided on what he had to do. "If you let the youngest eight go you'll gain Hotch's trust and you can get what you need. The younger ones aren't any use to you anyway"

Hunter thought for a moment then smirked. "You" He growled and pointed at one of the daycare workers Emily recognised as Kate. "Round up the eight youngest kids then bring them to the corridor"

The brunette woman quickly stood and collected seven two and three year olds then moved to a small cot placed in the corner of the room. "I can't pick Max up with these ties on"

Emily glanced over to Hunter then joined the woman and picked up the small baby boy. "Hunter, I need one of the daycare workers to help me take the children out"

"You can take her" He said after thinking for a moment then motioning to Kate. "Take them out with Charlie" He ordered before the small group shuffled out of the room, leaving Reid with the UnSub, remaining children and women.

"Come to my office" Hunter finally said and set off out of the room, the young genius close behind him. Once the duo was settled into the small room Hunter pulled out two cigarettes from the desk drawer and offered one to Reid. "One of those health buffs, huh?" He remarked after Reid refused his offer and lit his cigarette with an intricately decorated, silver lighter.

"FBI health checks don't allow smoking" Reid explained coolly.

"Never understood why people would wanna work for the FBI… so many rules on what you can and can't do in your own damn time" Hunter said in between puffs on his cigarette. "I always thought the bureau smacked any original thinking out of its agents… but you, you got smarts"

Reid put on a shy smile as he mentally noted Hunter's casual use of the word 'bureau'.

"There's no point being shy, kid. Being shy don't get you anywhere, 's what my old man used to say"

"The bureau doesn't believe in pride without arrogance" Reid explained while planning his way to get into Hunter's mind.

Hunter sighed, pushed the hair out of his face and sucked deeply on his source of nicotine. "It's a shame people get sucked into the façade the FBI make… 's damn shame"

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Emily softly rubbed Max's back while helping to herd the scared toddlers up the path and away from the daycare. Charlie was holding a little girl with ruffled blonde to his chest as protection from the armed officers, the daycare worker ushering the children forward.

Four agents were waiting by the table, all equipped with scissors, as the group approached. While the ties were cut off the children Emily led Charlie toward Hotch. "This is Charlie" she stated.

"We have a car waiting for you, if you'll just follow me" Hotch said before leading the man away.

Emily took a deep breath then approached the female daycare worker. "We need to go back now" She said in a soft voice while resting a hand on Kate's arm.

"I-I can't… That man… H-he's mad" The woman stuttered out, her eyes wide with fear.

"I understand this is difficult for you but the children need you back in the daycare, alright? They need you"

Kate hesitated for a moment then nervously nodded her head. Emily slowly wheeled her round then took her back down the path to the silent, looming daycare.

**So, there're only six kids left in the daycare and one less UnSub… for now. Hunter looks like he's bonding with Reid but that didn't end too great when Reid was held hostage in the compound, do you think there'll be a different outcome this time? Please review if you've got time!**


End file.
